Process of treating coal and coke



Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES GEORGE 1. SPENCER, NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF TREATING COAL AND ooxn No Drawing.

My invention relates to a process of treating solid fuel materials, ascoal and coke having a weatherbeaten or discolored appearance, toimprove the lustre and color, and incidentally also to allay dust, makeclean, prevent freezing, and for other purposes, and said process havingalso sundry advantages.

One of the main objects of my invention is to restore lost lustre andcolor to coal, and

coke, and to enhance the color of weatherbeaten coal,or coal of poorcolor.

Another object of my process is to improve the appearance of coal andcoke in 5 general and especially where the normal, lustrous appearancehas been dulled through exposure or degradation, by a treatment torestore the desired degree of lustre.

A further object of my process is to allay coal and coke dust whileimproving the lustre and color of the fuel treated.

A further object of my process is to cause the coal and coke to becomeclean and dustless while improving the lustre and color of the fueltreated.

A still other objectof my invention is to prevent the mass freezing ofcoal and coke in transit, and in stock piles, in cold weather whentreated by my above improved process.

' Another object of my improved process is not to increase the corrosionof heating surfaces of boilers and hot air furnaces or other metal partsof heating or cooking apparatuses and utensils by the combustion of coaltreated by my above process.

Another object of my improved process is to prevent the corrosion ofmetal parts of apparatus, coal conveyors, storage tanks, sprayingequipment, coal cars and truck bodies which may come in contact withcoal treated by my above process.

prove the efficiency of combustion of coal treated by my above process.

As is well known, there are at various.

places, such as at the coal mines, yards, and like storage places largequantities of coal in piles, which have been exposed to the weather,unsheltered, for long periods of time, and while having all the desiredfuel I Application filed December 11, 1929. Serial No. 413,424.

values, are mainly unsalable on account of poor color due to exposure;or coal freshly mined, while of useful heating value, may

have such a poor color or lack lustre, as to render it unsalable, atregular prices.

Thus, while the blackness of the coal may be satisfactory, it lacksdesired lustre. Or

it may be weatherbeaten to an off-color, thus not only lacking lustre,but being also of an undesirable color tone. My present treatment,process and formulae may be varied to suit the condition and color ofthe coal and coke, which it is desired to render salable,

and commercially available, thus preventing wastage and creating avaluable asset of low 65.

value coals, at a minimum of treating costs.

These and other advantages may be attained by the process which ishereinafter described or by any equivalent thereof.

I attain these objects by having defectively appearing coal treated by asolution, which is I hereinafter described, either by spraying saidsolution thereunto or by immersing the coal into the said solution.

For lack-lustre coal, which is defective mainly in lustre but hasretained most of its color, and formaking coal clean and dustless I havefound that ligno-sulphonic acid, also known as lignin liquor, willrestore its lustre and make it also clean and dustless, 30 but I havealso found that ligno-sulphonic acid and water also create the desiredresults; and to this end I propose to prepare a base solution ofligno-sulfonic acid which will contain approximately fifty percent (50%)of water for sale to users in bulk. Said solution may be further dilutedby the addition of about 300% of water. by the user, after which thissolution is ready for use.

- Where the color and lustre of the coal are very defective and where itis desirable for A further ObJGCt of my process is to imthe treatmentnot to dry so thoroughly I propose to emulsify the above solution by theaddition thereto of oil in the proportion of one part by volume of oilto ten parts by volume of said solution. I find that excellent resultscan be obtained with Standard 18 Plus Fuel Oil.

Natural or aniline dyes, asphaltum and Similar black coloring substancesmay also oil, and color, these solutions have a low freezing point, sothat when coal is treated therewith it will not freeze when in mass,

during freezing weather, and in transit, or

stored, in exposed condition.

I have found that the above solution, when applied to coal by sprayingthe solution onto the coal or fuel or by immersing the coal thereinto,has the effects as hereinbefore described in the statement of theobjects of my process or invention.

This lignin liquor (which is also known as lignin pitch, when in the dryconcentrated form with the moisture removed), as utilized herein is thegummy, resinous, sticky, intercellular by-product or waste liquorresulting from the use of cellulose or vegetable fibre fromvarious woodsor woody materials, principally spruce, hemlock and poplar, in themanufacture of paper pulp by various chemical processes. The threeprincipal processes are generally known in the paper industry as thesoda or alkaline process, the sulphite or acid process and the sulphateprocess. It is this resinous, glutinous material which is utilizedherein and which gives the results desired independently of the chemicalprocess from which it is obtained.

Variations are possible, and some of the above noted ingredients may beused without the other ingredients, and variations may also be made inthe water and oil content without obviating the advantages herein noted.

I claim as my invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

. 1. In a process of treating coal or solid fuel the part process,consisting in applying to said coal a solution in the proper proportionof ligno-sulphonic acid, thereby improving the lustre and color of thefuel and making it clean and dustless.

2. .In a process of treating coal or solid fuel the part process,consisting in applying to said coal a solution of dry ligno-sulphonicacid substantially in the proportion of one part of dry acid andapproximately seven parts of water, thereby improving the lustre andcolor of the fuel and making it clean and dustless.

3. In a process of treating coal or solid fuel the part process,consisting in applying to said coal a solution of ligno-sulfonic acidsubstantially in the proportion of one part i said acid and three partsof water, said solution being emulsified by the addition thereto of oilin the proportion of one part of oil and ten parts of said solution,thereby improving the color and lustre of the fuel and making itdustless.

5. In a process of treating coal or solid fuel the part process,consisting in spraying the said coal with a solution in properproportions of ligno-sulpfonic acid, thereby improving the lustre andcolor of the fuel and making it clean and dustless.

6. In a process of treating coal .or solid fuel the part process,consisting inapplying to said coal a solution of ligno-sulfonic acidsubstantially in the proportion of one part of said acid and three partsof water, said solution being emulsified by the addition thereto of oilin the proportion of one part of oil and ten parts of said solution, andsaid solution being also enriched by the addition thereof of suitablecoloring matter for restoring the color to badly discolored fuel.

7. In a process of treating solid fuel the part process, consisting inapplying to said fuel a solution of ligno-sulfonic acid substantially inthe proportion of one part of said acid and three parts of water, saidsolution being enriched by the addition thereto of suitable coloringmatter for restoring the color to badly discolored fuel.

8. In a process of treating solid fuel for allaying dust, the partprocess of coating said fuel with ligno-sulfonic acid, said acid beingliquid for applying the same to thefuel and for preventing removal ofparticles of said fuel. I

9. In a process of treating solid fuel, the part process of applying tosaid fuel an emulsified coating to improve the combustible efficiency ofsaid fuel, said coating consisting of a liquid ligno-sulfonic solution,and one part of oil to ten parts of said solution.

10. In a process of treating solid fuel, the

part process of applying to said fuel an emulno-sulfonic acid, renderingsaid fuel dry, dustless and so clean that it will not soil the hands.

14. A fuel comprising carbonaceous fuel coated with dried lignin liquor.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this10th day of December A. D. 1929.

GEORGE P. SPENCER.

